Pittsburgh Symphony's Pops Season Includes Disney, Sci-Fi, Cowboys and More!

Familiar friends and new sensations take their turns on the Heinz Hall stage during the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's 2014-2015 PNC Pops season, one that promises an eclectic mix of favorites and surprises.

The season opens with a concert that gives the ageless fight between good and evil a musical twist with "Heroes and Villains" (Oct. 17-19, 2014). Conductor Lucas Richman leads a program full of epic plots, dangerous villains, thrilling battles and dastardly deeds. Join us for a concert where the notes will fly faster than speeding bullets!

Put on your Spock ears and "Live long and prosper," when Jack Everly returns to the PNC Pops series to conduct "Sci-Fi Spectacular"(Nov. 14-16, 2014), an "out-of-this-world" concert featuring vintage TV themes, cult movie scores and music from epic space films.

The Pittsburgh holiday tradition Highmark Holiday Pops (Dec. 12-14, 2014; additional performances on Dec. 20 & 21) with conductor Todd Ellison returns! This annual concert has become a series favorite and a Pittsburgh tradition. Ellison, a prominent Broadway conductor who joined the Highmark Holiday Pops last year, is back at Heinz Hall, bringing with him the warmth and charm that made him an instant audience favorite! Classic carols and holiday favorites performed by an all-star cast of guest artists and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will have even Santa dancing in his seat!

Trumpeter and fan-favorite Chris Botti (Feb. 6-8, 2015) has firmly established himself as a major artist on the world's stage. Add to that his Grammy nominations and three #1 albums and Botti's status as a jazz superstar is firmly cemented. With the world-class Pittsburgh Symphony backing Botti, this concert is not to be missed!

Grab an umbrella and get ready to sing along when the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra presents "Singin' in the Rain" (March 13-15, 2015), the classic movie musical beloved for generations. Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds will once again dance into your hearts to the swelling orchestral accompaniment of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

The Texas Tenors (April 24-26, 2015), a trio of dashing cowboys ride into town to headline PNC Pops in April. Since their success on "America's Got Talent," the Texas Tenors have performed more than 500 concerts around the globe, and their debut album, "Country Roots - Classical Sound," is the only independent album to hit number one on both the country and classical charts.

The 2014-2015 PNC Pops season concludes with a program that will thrill kids of all ages, "Disney in Concert: A Tale as Old as Time" (June 19-21, 2015), featuring a quartet of Disney in Concert singers performing songs from favorite Disney movies like Frozen, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and many more!

Seven-concert season ticket packages range from $122.50 to $659.75, and can be purchased by calling 412-392-4900, or visiting pittsburghsymphony.org. Tickets for individual concerts will go on sale around Labor Day.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra would like to recognize and thank PNC for its 2014-2015 title sponsorship of the PNC Pops, marking PNC's 14th consecutive year as title sponsor of this series. The Pittsburgh Symphony also would like to recognize and thank Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for its 2014 title sponsorship of Highmark Holiday Pops. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

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2014-2015 PNC Pops Season at a Glance

Programs, artists and dates are subject to change

October 17-19, 2014
Heroes and Villains

Lucas Richman, conductor

All-Star College Choir (Christine Hestwood, director)
Fly to Heinz Hall as the battle between good and evil begins! Armed with epic music from stage and screen, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will once again save the day with notes that fly faster than speeding bullets.

November 14-16, 2014

Sci-Fi Spectacular

Jack Everly, conductor

Kristen Plumley, vocalist

Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (Betsy Burleigh, director)

Join the Pittsburgh Symphony for a program that's out of this world! From vintage sci-fi television themes to the movie music of epic space films, this concert is an out-of-this-world musical adventure.

December 12-14 (and Dec. 20 & 21), 2014

Highmark Holiday Pops

Todd Ellison, conductor

Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (Betsy Burleigh, director)

The Pittsburgh tradition returns! Enjoy favorite carols and much-loved holiday music from an all-star cast of guest artists (including Santa Claus) and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in this festive concert.

February 6-8, 2015

Chris Botti

Lawrence Loh, conductor

Best-selling jazz instrumentalist Chris Botti returns bringing his inimitable velvet tone and sublime phrasing. Hear why he and his trumpet hold multiple Grammys, Gold and Platinum records, and the hearts of millions of music lovers.

March 13-15, 2015

Singin' in the Rain

Lawrence Loh, conductor

Topping the American Film Institute's list of the 25 Greatest Movie Musicals of all time, this film masterpiece features live orchestral accompaniment by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and award-winning on-screen performances by Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds.

April 24-26, 2015

The Texas Tenors - Marcus Collins, J.C. Fisher, John Hagen

Lawrence Loh, conductor

"America's Got Talent" stars, these three classically trained singers present a one-of-a-kind mix of Broadway, classical, country and gospel music.

June 19-21, 2015

Disney in Concert: Tale as Old as Time

Lawrence Loh, conductor

A feast for the ears and eyes, a quartet of Disney in Concert singers perform to film clips of favorite Disney movies.

Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Symphony, Inc., a non-profit organization, and is the year-round home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The cornerstone of Pittsburgh's Cultural District, Heinz Hall also hosts many other events that do not feature its world-renowned orchestra, including Broadway shows, comedians, speakers and much more. For a full calendar of upcoming non-symphony events at the hall, visit heinzhall.org.